It wasn't long ago that entrepreneurs thought of bankers as
no less ominous a figure than big brother--you couldn't trust
them, and they certainly weren't out to help you. Frustrated
entrepreneurs often saw themselves as just a number in a long line
of faceless small businesses that bankers turned away by the
hundreds.

But not anymore.

Today, your loan officer not only knows your name, he or she may
have even helped you write your business plan. And the
relationships between entrepreneurs and bankers can only improve
when the newest banks in your town are being started by people just
like you: entrepreneurs.

"Over the past few years, we've seen mergers and
consolidations, and that [has created] a pocket where service has
been diminished," says Ann Grochala, director of bank
operations for the Independent Bankers Association of America.
"As a result, bankers have found opportunities to create new
banks."

One such recent start-up is The Business Bank of Baton Rouge,
started by former Louisiana governor Buddy Roemer, Greater Baton
Rouge Business Report publisher Rolfe McCollister Jr. and
banking veteran Pete Boone. In a unique effort to attract both
customers and stockholders, Roemer visited local businesses and
rounded up 291 shareholders (none investing more than $250,000) to
create a truly local business bank.

"We wanted to be a real community bank and not be perceived
as [being] owned by one or two people," says Boone.
"We're going to cater to the business community. The
people on our loan committees understand the needs of [small]
businesses because they've been there."

At Missouri Bank & Trust in Kansas City, Missouri, bank
president Grant Burcham and his staff are known for taking the
risks and providing the services small businesses rely on.
"Our advantage is our ability to know each of our customers
[personally]," says Burcham, whose family purchased the bank
in 1984. "We loan money to people, not just balance
sheets and income statements. We sell ourselves as a value-added
bank because we're also a small business and a resource for
[business owners]."

We All Scream

Why ask about work experience and references when you can quiz
prospective employees about their favorite flavor of ice cream?
According to a recent study by the Smell & Taste Treatment and
Research Foundation, ice cream preference can reveal clues to an
individual's personality. So slip that question into your job
application . . . and don't forget to take
your new hire out for a celebratory cone.

Vanilla: colorful, impulsive risk-takers who set high goals and
have high expectations of themselves.

Chocolate: lively, creative, dramatic, charming, enthusiastic
people considered the life of the party. Enjoy being the center of
attention and may become bored with the usual routine.